Trace



(No Model.)

E. S. SAETTLER. TBAGE.

No. 494,443. Patented Mar. 28, 1893.

WITNESSES: INVENTOH' W I L/iw ATTORNEYS.

PATENT ERNEST S. SAETTLER, OF GIDDINGS, TEXAS.

TRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,443, dated March'28, 1 893.

I Application filedDeoember 10, 1892. Serial No. 454,709. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST S. SAETTLER, of Giddings, in the county of Lee and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Traces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in harness traces, and it has for its object to construct a trace in such manner that that portion of the trace in which the eye is located, and which is adapted for engagement with a single tree, will be rendered as durable as any other portion of the trace.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a portion of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trace.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one portion of the clamp to be located at the eye of the trace; and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of another section of the clamp.

The invention consists primarily of a reinforcing clamp located at the eye 10 of a trace A. The clamp consists of a body section B, illustrated in detail in Fig. 3, which section consists of a plate 11, made of malleable iron, or any other hard yet thin material, and one end of the plate, the inner one for example, is reduced in width, as shown at 12 in the drawings, and this end of the plate is provided with an aperture 13, while a second aperture 14, is produced at the opposite end of the plate, both apertures being preferably located upon a central longitudinal line. Each side edge of the wider portion of the plate is provided with a flange in direction of both the top and bottom,-and the flange is given a dove-tailed shape in cross section and is designated in the drawings as b.

Near the center of the wider portion of the plate 11, a longitudinal slot or opening 15, is produced, adapted to register with the eye 10 in the trace. In connection with the body section two slides C, are used, and these slides are preferably made of sheet metal, and the central portion of the slide is longitudinally struck up from the bottom to form a dovetailed channel 16, while at the side edges of the slide spurs 17, are formed, the spurs standing at a right angle to the under face of the slide.

In the construction of the trace made from two straps of leather D and D, the body plate B, is introduced between two straps, the side edges of the straps fitting snugly between the flanges b, and the body plate is so adjusted between the straps that the outer wider edge of the plate will be flush with the rear ends of the straps, as shown in Fig. 2, at which time the slot 15 in the plate will be brought into registry with the eye 10 in the strap. This having been accomplished, rivets 18, are passed through the straps and through the apertures 13 and14 in the body plate.

The final clamping and reinforcing of the trace is accomplished by causing the dovetail channels of the slides to respectively re ceive a flange b of the body plate; and when the slides have been properly adjusted the side portions of the slides are bent downward to engage the side faces of the straps D and D, and the spurs 17, are at the same time driven into the straps, as is likewise shown in Fig. 2.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that other fastening devices may be substituted for the spurs 17, and also that the slides may be made of any material that maybe found most advantageous in practice. It will be readily observed that by means of the device above set forth and the manner in which it is applied, the rear end of the trace is not only strengthened, but it is so reinforced at the eye that the trace at that point will stand wear and tear as well, if not better, than at any other point in its length. I

I desire it to be distinctly understood that although I have stated that the above described device is especially adapted for reinforcing the eye portions of traces, said device may be applied with equally good results Y to any strap for the purpose of reinforcing an opening therein and strengthening the strap. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture,

IOO

a trace provided with a reinforcing plate located between the straps at the eye portion and provided with a slot registering with the eye of the trace, and slides receiving the edges of the reinforcing plate and extending over the edges of the trace at the eye, and secured to the side surfaces of the trace, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the straps of a trace at the eye portion thereof, of a reinforcing plate introduced between the straps, the said plate being provided with a slot registering with the eye of the trace, and with marginal flanges extending beyond the side edges of the straps, and slides fitted over the flanges ERNEST S. SAETTLER. Witnesses:

FRED VANDERWERTH, E. P. STUERMER. 

